Improvement in machine foe drying and sooubing sheet metal



ftlniteh tstrs Igatmt @frn CHARLES F. L. HOLMES'OF WATERBURY, GONNECTICUTQ Leiters Patent N 80,179, Hated July 21, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINE EOB. DRYIN G AND SGOURING SHEET METAL. 1

it'lgc Srlgrtizle munt tr in ttgtsc tttrs ntntt mit nnkng'part of tt'rnmnrV m TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME: i Be it known that I, CHARLES E. L. HOLMES, of Waterbury, in the county of New Haven, and State of l Connecticut, h'ave invented, made, and applied to use certain new and uset'ul Improvements in Means for Scouring and Drying Out Sheet'Metal; and I do hereby declare that the following is a. full,` clear,` and exact description of the construction and operation ofthe same, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making part of this E specification, \vlxereint Figure lis a plan, and Figure 2 a vertical section of the apparatus used by mc. Siniilar marks of reference indicate-the same parts in all the figures. Sheet metal, and particularly sheet brass, in'tho proccssrof finishing, has to b e scoured or' ground upon its i surfaces, in ordcr to remove the scales or other inequalities which accumulate on the surface in the course of the manufacture, and after-the sheet has been rolled for the last time, annealed, and scoured, it has to be immersed in acid, to cleanse. the surface, then uvas-hed inwater, nftc'r which, the sheets have to be dried. IIcretofore, suchsheets have'been scoured with sand and passed throughne saw-dust;J and wiped off lwith a cloth by hand, which was a slow and expensive as woll as imperfect method of scoui'ing anddrying s uch sheets; In order to overconie the diiiculties,imperfections, and expense iu scouring anddrying sheet niet-als in thc'uianncr heretofore practised, and do the work in a machine, instcadof by hahd, is the object of this invention; and it consists of thc arrangement of'a series of scouring or grinding-rollers and rubbers, covered with some elastic or fibrous matcrialthat will hold the sand used in scouring when the rollers and rubbers are in motion and in contact with-the metal, and in the peculiar motion given to the rollers and rubbers in the operation Uf scouring the sheets of metal in passing through the machne,and also in the method of cleaning o'thc surface of the sheets aft-er being scoured and dried.

In the drawingma arc the legs supporting a boxer 'i'arue I1, at one end of which is a pulley or drum, c, receiving motion from any convenient power to drive the machine.

rl is `a roller, slipped on to the shaft 1 ot' the pulley c, and fitted with a key or'slot by which the said roller is prevented from turning independent of the shaft, but allowing the roller to bo. slipped o tbeshat't Vvs'ith the sheet brass thatis wound upon it during the'opcration of the machine, and the sheet metal may then be removed from the roller.

c is a roller, around which the sheet metal to bescoured or dried is Wound, and itis journalled into and revolves in the grooves 2 2 in box b. 1

The sheet of metal is passed'through an aperture in the end of box b, over rubber z', under roller h, over t rubber y, and under rollerf, in a serpentine course, presenting the surface of the sheet.metal in a. curved. formi upon ythe scouring-rollers and rubbers, and then passes out through opening 3, in box b, between revolving'and reciprocating brush 7c nml l', and is wound upon roller d.

4 is e band from pulley c, giving motion t-o pulley on the shaft ot' rollerf, giving thcshaft a, continuous rotary motion. From pulley 5 is another band, 6, to a pulley 7, on the shaft of roller h ,revolving itin the same direction as rollcrj".` Short connecting-rods, 8, are used to give a vibrating motion to rollers` or rubbersg z which vibratory motion is due to and by reason of the crank-pins on the pulleys f andjrnot being coincident with the pins on pulleys g and z'. 9 is a band from pulley c, turning a revolving brush, fr, set in bearings in box I, and acting to brush o the dust from the topfof the sheet after being scoured and dried.

Z is a brushon pivoted lever Z, pivotcd at 10, receiving motion from lever m, en pivoted levea` IlA andis acted upon by a pin, 12, on pulley 5, and througlrcord 13 acts to pull lever Zover to one side, when spring 14 ,pompels it to reciprocate back tothe opposite side and under the surface' of the sheet metal, thereby brushing 2 saus i o all-dustor dirt adhering to' the under side of the sheet of metal, and the s heet`th`us scoured, cleanednnd dried, passes on to roller c, and is wound-into convenient rolls for3use ortransportation. In using this machine for scouring metal sheets, sand is used in a wet state, and supplied to the sheets and rollers and rubbers, which actonfboth sides of the sheets as they `pass through the machine, and in contact with the rollers and rubbers, :rs-before stated. i I 4 I lWhen usedf'or'dryingA sheet metnL-the box b is filled with fine saw-dust, covering tho 'rollers and sheet metaltand, as the vsheet passes through rthey machine {thnsprovided, the saw-dust absorbs themoisture on the metal iidscoveringzof the rollers an'dfruhbers. y i

The sheets`ofsmetal, in passing through the machine, -whether for scouring or drying, are caused to travel inthe opposite direction 'to the motion given tlierollersfand la; but it is evident that when the sheet Vis thick, lit might be made to pass undeinstead ofov-er therollers'g'and z', in which case tberollersf and h' would turn in ,the same directiomthat the shcet of metal travels, and at greater speed. A l

VIt is. evident that the brushes m'ightbe changed. with relation to each other and the metal sheet without. changingthe' invention.

Iam aware that sheet-metal plates have been ground, by' .passing the sheets between revolving grinding,- eylinders, and giving the-sheet a motion contrary to the direction ofthe revolution of the cylinders, by forcing ord-rawing through between and against the direction ofmotion of the 'eylinderswhich grind'the surfaces of the metal. i Such is not my invcn'tion.- l l i I amlallso aware that, in paper-calendering machines, the paper sheet'is passed between and around a series of rollers, in order to produce-a desired finish upon lthe surface of the paper. Such arrangement of rollers could not do what nydnve'n'tion does, for, in the'papcrlcalendering machine, the paper sheet is pas-'sed between rollers that revolve, tqlcarry' the sheet in a given direction, and none Arevolve in a direction contrary to that which is given to the-peper; nor does suehmachine use vibrating-rollers, which come iu .contact with tbe paper in their reciprocationsor vibrations, assuch motion would destroy the paper inpassingthrough the `machine. v i' l I Neither of which inventi'ons'would or could do what can be donewith mine. `Nor doI claim 4any such inventons'cr arrangements, in whole in part;- or tol grinding or scouring sheet metal on both' sides simultaneously, as this has previously been done.v Y

'But Iam not aware of any machine being in'usewherethe operating parts are soarranged as to pass the sheet metall-'alternately ah'ove 'and below the scouring-'rollers or rubbers, whereby a more perfect operation ils qatainedpbecause thebending of the sheet to thus pass over and -u'nder the rollers-straightens out any irregu- Olai-ity in said sheet caused in rolling or annealing, and allows the rollers or 'rubbers to act` uniformly on-the surface of the sheet'iln its .curved position; otherwise, if the sheets were passed `through in a straight direction, the warped and twisted condition of the sheets would prevent a uniform and complete action upon all the surface ofthe sheet, and the curving of the metal over the rollers causes a greater surface of the metal to be in contact with therollcrs and rubbers than could be if the direction of the sheet were straight when between the rollers and rubbers. Therefore, I am enabled, by my arrangemen t,to work more expeditiously, and performthe scouring and drying more perfectly than has heretofore been done lwith any machine with which I am acquainted.

What I claim as my invention,- and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-, f r

The arrangement, in a machine for grinding, scouring, and drying sheet metal, of the rollersfh, revolving in a direction opposite to theA direction of the'passingsheet metal being operated upon, and rollers, g z', having a vibratorymotion, and all the rollers acting upon the surface ofthe metal while -iu acurved position, substantially in the manner described.

I also claim operating the reciprocating brush l by means of the lever m, cord'13, spring 14, and pivoted lever= Z, substantially ninthe manner. and for the purpose set forth. v v Y In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my signature, this 2d day of October, 1855. l

/ c. E. L. HOLMES.

Witnesses LEMUEL' W. Seemann, W. J'.` RuNvxLLE. 

